


Alliance

by Captain_Wombat



Series: Kings & Kingdoms [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, As i write more of the fic, BAMF Merlin, Creative Outlet, Dragonlord Merlin, First ever attempt at writing a fanfiction, Help! There are suppose to be tags here but i have nothing, I'm Bad At Tagging, Late Night Writing, Merlin's Magic Revealed, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow To Update, banished merlin, sort of, unpredictable updates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-05
Updated: 2015-05-28
Packaged: 2018-03-21 09:19:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3686823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Wombat/pseuds/Captain_Wombat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin vanished from Camelot ten years ago and hasn't been seen since. Arthur has been king of Camelot for just over seven years, since Uther's passing. During those years he has changed many laws to make the kingdom a better place. Even though he changed some things he refused to change one out of respect for his father, the ban on magic. That may have to change soon though, with a spell cast over Camelot, that makes everyone in Camelot forget Arthur and Morgana. Running out of options Arthur must turn to making an alliance with a neighboring kingdom, the only problem being that, said kingdom freely accepts the use and practice of magic and may not so freely help Camelot, a kingdom where innocent people are punished simple for just having magic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction, so please do hesitate to comment your thoughts because feedback and constructive criticism is appreciated. I plan to make this a series of two works because i have a lose plot figured out but i'm going to warn you now that i don't know how often i will update it it could be weeks or months apart, Because i am writing purely for fun when i have time and when i feel inspired.

**Prologue**

 

It was a split second decision. Reveal himself and save the man he was destined to protect or hide and let him die. One choice, and his life in Camelot was destroyed. It was simple to chose which to do, but that made it no less hard.

 

The man hovering in the middle of the dinning hall, encased in a blue light was yelling at the king and the crowned prince, the king had long since called the guards to arrest him and throw him in the dungeons but so far the man had eluded them. Merlin knew he intended to kill both the king and his son, because earlier today there had been and execution, a little girl barely thirteen. She had been found using magic and was captured, trailed, and executed without mercy. Merlin had pleaded with Arthur to talk to his father about the girl, Arthur still held misconceptions about magic and those who used it, but had talked to his father none the less because no matter what it was still a child. His attempts were to no avail, the king wouldn't listen to reason when it came to magic.

 

So here they were in the dinning hall with the girls father exacting revenge over his child’s death. The warlock could hardly blame the man, he couldn't begin imagine the pain that accompanied losing a child. The angered father saw it as murder not justice, just a selfish old man that had a grudge against magic and was to blind to see that his daughter was just an innocent young girl. That made his grief turn into rage which fueled the need to exact revenge. To make the man that killed his child hurt just as much as he did, and as much as his daughter did when she was burnt at the stake.

 

Though Merlin understood it, he could not stand for what the man was trying to do, he would ruin everything he had been working to accomplish in the years of being the prince's manservant. The sorcerer was enraged and yelling at the king, about to ruin the future Merlin was destined to create with the once and future king.

 

Merlin had only two options, but would both lead to the same future, one were magic would never be accepted in Camelot. So he chose the option that kept the person he had come to think of as a good friend alive, even if it meant saving the king that cause so much pain to his kin and kind for so long.

 

So as the man was about to cast a spell, Merlin stepped from the spot behind the table that he had been attending Arthur from. “Merlin! What are are you doing, you idiot.” The prince stood about to come to his servants rescue when the spear of ice that was cast towards the king stopped in its tracks and melted to make a puddle on the floor. Merlin's eyes shone a bright gold when he looked back to his prince, who was just staring in shock. The warlock turned back to the threat, he didn't want to see the emotions play across his friends face, emotions he had dreaded to see since he came to know the insufferable prat.

 

The Sorcerer was also stunned, but not for long, his expression started to change from stunned to confused and then changed to rest on angry. “Why? Why would you protect those who seek to kill our own. They have killed hundreds, thousands of us, and you would protect them!” The sentence started out level but then ended in yell of outrage, his anger growing with each word as the sorcerer sent another icy spear this time aimed at Merlin. The spear melted as the first did, and Merlin hated to do it but he cast a spell in return, an imitation of the man's own only stronger. The spear pierced him through the heart. The raven haired warlock could have teleported the grieving father away, so he could have spared the man's life, but then his sacrifice would mean nothing, he had seen into the fathers heart, his grief was to great. He would never give up his revenge, he would just keep going until he succeeded or was killed. So with the sliver of hope he still held to repair his destiny with Arthur, he made the choice to kill the man. The warlock could not risk the man staying alive, that didn't make the decision any easier though.

 

He distinctly heard shout coming from behind him but he tuned out the words, as the everything that had just happened finally caught up with him, had he really just done that. Merlin was pulled out of his thoughts but two sets of hands grabbing onto his arms, yanking them behind his back and tightening something cold and hard around his wrists. The hands on him were slowly dragging him out of the room, the last thing he saw was the hurt and betrayed expression on Arthur’s face as he was dragged from the room. Merlin couldn't bring himself to regret what he did, he saved Arthur which is what he was destined to do, maybe it wasn't all that he was meant to do but at least he managed to do that much.

 

A choice is a choice, and now his was made. Now his whole future was altered to take a path that was originally not what was intended. The future is a tricky thing, one choice, one ripple in and infinite pool of possibilities can change so much. The future is a unpredictable thing but oddly enough, it has a way of working itself out, because destiny is one thing that can not and will not be avoided.

 

* * *

 

 

Merlin woke confused, not taking in the unfamiliar surroundings at first, but then the sight of the dungeon walls, the dirt straw covered ground he had been sleeping on took over his senses, the shackles around his wrist and ankles finally jogged his memory of the events of the previous day and the very real sentence that he had been convicted of, the one that decreed he be executed for treason against Camelot for the use and practice of sorcery.

 

Yesterday had started off normal enough, getting breakfast for the prince, helping him with his armour before morning practice with the Knights, the easy banter between them as he help him redress for the banquet, that the king was throwing for the visiting royalty from a neighboring kingdom. That's where everything had gone wrong, a man acting as a servant revealed himself to be a sorcerer that had come to kill the king and the prince for killing his daughter. He had to used his magic to save Arthur and Uther, very publicly.

 

After that things happened fast, after everyone had got over the shock of what had happened and what Merlin had done, the king yelled for his arrest. Getting dragged to the dungeons was not really something Merlin had not expected since his arrival at Camelot, he knew his magic would eventually be found out sooner or later, the warlock just wished that it had been later rather that sooner.

He wasn't allowed visitors but Gaius snuck down to see him. Which was impressive considering how old he was, Merlin wondered how he got passed the guards, probably just told them of f and did that thing with his eyebrow, but with the pressing matter of his execution at the forefront of his mind he forgot to ask. No one else was brave enough to come and see him, but he didn't really blame them he had been lying to all of them for years, especially Arthur. God, when he used his magic the look of betrayal and hurt on his face, it would haunt Merlin for the rest of his life, how ever long that may be.

 

Without much else to do, he tried to sleep more, sleep wasn't a thing he got much of while being Arthur's manservant, between all the chores and sneaking around using his magic and working with Gaius, he was lucky to get a few hours each night. Sleep was a bad choice though, with sleep came dreams and these were not pleasant dreams. His worst fear for a long time was everyone finding out about his magic and turning on him, hating him. That is what would happen in his nightmares over and over, Each of the friends finding some rather horrific way to kill him. So waiting out his sentence with sleep was no longer an option so he just sat in his cell staring at the wall.

 

* * *

 

 

Arthur sat at his bedroom window looking down into the courtyard, some knights were building the pyre that Me-the sorcerer would be burnt on later on in the day. A silent battle was waging inside the prince. Merlin betrayed him, probably only got close to him for some hidden agenda, he must of looked into Arthur's thoughts and made himself into the very thing Arthur had wanted back when he first met Merlin, a friend, a real one.

 

One that wasn't afraid to speak his mind and wasn't just being nice because he was the prince of Camelot. Merlin was a sorcerer, and he had been taught his whole life that magic went hand-in-hand with evil and those that chose to practice it are just as evil. So why was it that he found it so hard to believe that his clumsy idiot of a manservant could be evil.

 

The blond's opinion on the matter wouldn't matter anyway, Merlin was sentence to death and there was nothing he could do about it, he wasn't even sure he wanted to do something about it.

 

That battle lasted till the moment he saw Merlin dragged from his cell and tied to the wooden stake. He did nothing to stop it, just stood there near his father, waiting for it to be over. He looked up just as the order to light the wood was issued and met the person he used to call his friends eyes. Arthur had expected hatred, anger, frustration or even hopelessness, but when he looked into the dark blue depths all he found was sadness and maybe a little understanding.

 

A small sad smile worked it's way onto Merlin's face, it almost looked apologetic. He seemed to be waiting for something, though what Arthur couldn't figure out. The flames had reached his feet now it was slowly licking its way up his legs, but he never broke eye contact with his prince, never once looked towards the cheering crowd, happy about his death. Until the flames made their way up to his chest, his eyes started to mimic the flames, the dark blue irises were slowly engulfed in a rusty orange that solidified into a pure gold colour, with one last look at Arthur he whispered something, then disappeared.

 

As the crowd erupted into confusion and outrage, Uther ordered around the guards to find the traitor. Arthur would have helped but he was frozen, the look Merlin had given him in that last moment before his vanished, it stopped the war inside himself. In that moment he believed he would have tried to stop the execution if Merlin had not disappeared. Along with the expression on his face, Arthur would remember the words Merlin whispered for a very long time.

 

_One day Arthur you will make a great king, as I have always told you. I never intended to hurt you, all I ever did was protect you. Goodbye my friend._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will skip ten years into the future. As for a pairing i don't know if i want to make this a Merlin/Arthur story yet so i won't add it to the tags yet but it is a possibility depending on how i feel as i write it.
> 
> Important notes about the story:  
> Uther died naturally three year's after he sentenced Merlin to death.  
> Morgana is still good, she gets nightmares but her magic is just starting to awaken.  
> The Knights of the round table were friends with Merlin and Arthur before they were made knights when Arthur became king.  
> Morgana and Arthur know that they are siblings because Uthur told them when he was on his deathbed, at first it was awkward but they got past it and now they are closer then the were before.
> 
> I mention this being a different universe but really it's more like a parallel world where things happen differently. Very differently.


	2. Six Strangers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Those that have read the prologue before this will notice that the summary has change, that is only because i decided to change something in the plot line, but it's not that much of a difference just Arthur's reason for making a alliance has changed, but many of the events i had planned will stay the same as before the changed. The only difference is that you get six new OC's in the story but truth be told i don't think we will see much of them.

** Chapter One **

 

It had bee ten long years, approaching eleven since he had last seen Merlin. Though the stupid man-servant still seemed to occasionally come to Arthur's mind whenever magic was mention, usually he would just push the thoughts to the back of his mind where they were locked so that he wouldn't have to think of the man he once called a friend, in a way he was the first real friend Arthur had ever had or at least that was what Arthur had once thought, but it turned out Merlin was just the same as all the others. befriending him to get something from him. The blond still didn't entirely know what that something was but why else would a sorcerer befriend the son of a king that had killed countless numbers or his kind.

 

Pushing the thoughts of the raven haired man aside was a lot harder for him this time though, because of the situation he found himself in today. Over the last seven years of his rein as king he had been struggling with the law on magic, he still believed that it was evil, there was plenty of proof of that in past years, but occasional someone would come alone and make him question his belief on magic, Merlin was the first and now he was faced with the a little girl that was making him question it again.

 

The girl had been found using her magic in public in the lower town and was brought to the castle, some knights had witnessed the incident and brought her to him to be sentenced. The girl was about eight, and only used her magic to catch a man who had been repairing a roof that slipped and would have fallen to his death if she did not intervene. To say it was a hard decision was an understatement, how could he justify a little girl saving someone as an act of evil.

 

That is the reason he found himself sitting at the round table with the knights and Gaius, discussing the girls fate. “We can't just execute her, she is only a child.” Lancelot said, Gwaine nodded in agreement with a rare serious expression that Arthur had only seen a couple of times. “Being a child does not excuse her from the law.” Thought he had said it, he put no real conviction into it, executing a child is not something he wanted to do, his father wouldn't have hesitate as proven on multiple occasions. Yes Arthur hated magic but his hate for magic was not as strong as his fathers, and no matter the law he just couldn't find the the conviction to kill a child that had only tried to save someone else’s life. As If hearing his thoughts it was Elyan to speak up next. “Yes, but she saved someone's life, she also admitted that she had no knowledge that she could use magic.”

 

Arthur had wondered about that too, “She must be lying, how can you cast a spell if you have no knowledge of them.” Gaius was the one that replied to the question he didn't really expect to get an answer to. “Sire, there is more than one type of magic. The druids posses the power to cast weak magic without speaking, she could be a descendant of a druid and her power broke out when she saw the man falling. I believe her to be telling the truth.”

 

Whatever Arthur was about to say was cut of but six figures appearing to stand around them, there was three men and three women all of them wore silver armor, the chain-mail they wore under there chestplates was strange, it looked more like silver scales than any armor he had ever seen before. Each also wore a cloak but there were not the same they all had different colors, white, red but it was darker than there own, blue, green, black and purple.

 

Everyone expect Gaius tried to reach for their swords, but found themselves frozen in place unable to move any part of their bodies. “Who are you?” Arthur yelled as he struggle to try do something, anything with his immobile body. “What do you want?” Arthur had a pretty good idea what they wanted considering they could use magic but if the questions would stall them, then he would ask and hope he thought of a way to get out of this before these people killed him and all his knights.

 

One if the women, the one with a black cloak stepped forward she had light green eyes and long brown hair tied on a long plait that ended at her lower back. “I am Eftwyrd, and these,” she gestured to the other five people with her head. “are my brothers and sisters. We are also known as the Ealdgweorc.” Eftwyrd looked over at Arthur and felt him struggling against her magic. “It is useless, calm yourself king, we wish you and your friends no harm, we are simply here only here to give you a message and shall release you once we have.” after that each of sorcerers took a turn to step forward and recite a verse of what Arthur assumed was the message that they had wanted to tell him and the rest of the round table.

 

_“What was once close knit,_

_has now split.”_

 

_“The future is not what it should be,_

_there is something missing that you need.”_

 

_“Something has changed,_

_which should have remained unchanged.”_

 

_“Now you face a threat,_

_that you have yet to have met.”_

 

_“If you hope to defeat it,_

_then something will have to twist a bit.”_

 

_“You will have to submit,_

_or you prove to be unfit.”_

 

All of the six had said there piece, but Eftwyrd stepped forward again and said one last thing before they all vanished.

 

_“Know that this is done in necessity,_

_so that you may fulfill your destiny.”_

 

The restraints that held them vanished as they did, but before anything could be said or done they all slowly drifted into a dark dreamless sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos and all those that are following this story, i really didn't think this story would get much attention especially after just one chapter but it's a pleasant surprise. Comments would be appreciated even of there constructive criticism.


	3. Forgotten

**Chapter Two**

 

The sounds of rushing water was the only sound Arthur could hear as he slowly came into full consciousness. He groaned as he tried to stretch out his stiff muscles. Opening his his eyelids slowly, the early morning light blinded him, after blinking a couple of times his eyes adjusted and he took in his surroundings. He was lying on the ground surrounded by tree and a small flowing stream of to the side, he could hear birds chirping and other animals rustling around the place, but couldn't make out any aside from a couple of birds flying from tree to tree. He recognised the place, he was in the forest that surrounded Camelot, and this particular place was a regular camp-site for him and his knights when they went on hunting or when he used to go on patrols. Looking around again he realised he was not alone, Morgana was half hidden behind a large fallen log.

 

Standing up was harder than Arthur expected, when he did he felt light-headed and weak, but he pushed passed it so he could see if his sister was alright. Kneeling beside her, he could easily hear her breathing so she was just unconscious, as he had been moments before. “Morgana?” She didn't stir so he shook her shoulder softly and repeated her name louder. This time she awoke, Arthur gave her time to take in where she was, once she did she just looked confused. “Arthur, what's going on? Why are we in the forest?” She sat up as she spoke.

 

“I don't know.” As the blond said that though, memories of the meeting yesterday came rushing back. He had been discussing the little girls fate when some sorcerers appeared and spoke some nonsense, after that he couldn't remember anything. “It probably has something to with those sorcerers that were in Camelot.” Morgana didn't miss the venom in her brothers voice as he spoke. “What sorcerers?” Morgana got a quick explanation out of her brother, of the events that happened yesterday, well at least what the expected was yesterday. There was no way of telling how long they had been gone for.

 

They talked for a little while longer, but soon decided to start the long walk home, they were both eager to get back to Camelot. There had been many attacks to Arthur's kingdom over the years and no doubt this was another, Arthur only hoped he would get back in time to help against this new threat before Camelot was lost.

 

The pair had been walking for about two hours when they heard the sound of hooves approaching. Arthur wasn't wearing his armour, he was just in civilian clothing as was Morgana, he cursed under his breath as he also realised neither he or his sister didn't have any weapons. If he had had a sword he might had confronted who ever was coming, but he would not risk his life or Morgana's if they were unlucky enough for the group approaching to be bandits, so they retreated of f the road, to a good distance where they wouldn't been seen but could see who was coming. Listening careful to them and Arthur estimated about three horses, when they came into view he could make out the red capes of the Camelot knights, knowing they would not attack him, he walked back to the road and waited for them to get closer.

 

It turned out to be, Gwaine, Lancelot and Percival, for which Arthur was glad, maybe they had some answer as to what was going on in Camelot. “Arthur, I'm glad your alright, we have been looking for you all morning.” Lancelot said as he dismounted his horse, the other two did the same, all three came to stand before there king. Each had a troubled expression on there face even Gwaine, which was highly unusual which means whatever they were about to tell him was bad, very bad.

 

-

 

Twenty minutes later found all five of them standing in a clearing, just of the road where they had run into each other. Lancelot had just finished telling Arthur and his sister about what was wrong in Camelot, thought it is not what he expected in the least.

 

“You mean to tell me that no one remembers my existence?” Arthur said in a tone that implied he didn't really believe what one of his most trusted knights had just told him.

 

“That is what it seems like, no one remembers. They don't remember Morgana either, they only people that remember who the two of you are, the other knights of the round table, Gaius and Gwen.” Lancelot went on to explain that all of them had woke up, and the events of yesterday came back to them slowly. When they came to check on him, they found his chambers empty and the usual guards that stood outside of the room, were no where to be seen. After that they when to ask around to see if anyone had seen the Arthur, but no one had known who they were talking about and mostly got strange looks, before Lancelot could say anything else, Arthur had just realised something and interrupted Lancelot.

 

“If they do not know of my and Morgana;s existence, they who do they think is king?” Gwaine and Lancelot looked at each other then at their king. Though this time it was Gwaine who spoke this time.

 

“No one, they seem to think that Uther just passed, and the court is fighting over who will take his place, the most likely candidate is your uncle Agravain.” In a way it made sense to Arthur, his uncle would have been in next in line to take the throne if Uther had died with no heirs. Though he didn't doubt that his uncle had no memory of him, he still felt a little pang of betrayal that his uncle would take his throne so easily and make it his own so quickly. Shaking himself out of those thoughts he started question his knights again, it wouldn't do to dwell on what had happened, now he needed to find a way to fix whatever those six sorcerers had done.

 

“Does Gaius know anything about what could cause this? Or how to fix it?” Lancelot shook his head in a negative movement, “When we left he said he was going to look into it, but the last time I talked to him, he still did not know much about what was happening. Although we have been out looking for you for some time, maybe by now he has found something.” Arthur hoped so, Gaius was the only link they had to magical knowledge, and the only one who might offer a solution to this.

 

-

 

Walking through Camelot unnoticed was something new to Arthur, he was walking behind his three knights on there way to the castle to see if Gaius had made any progress. Usually when he would walk through town people would stop what they were doing and greet him, some even bowed to him. That didn't mean that he wanted his people to drop everything for him. When he was younger he loved it, he basked in his people attention, but as he grew older he grew to notice that no everyone did this out of respect, some did it out of fear, fear of what would happen if they disrespected their king, fear that was inspired in his people while his father sat upon the throne. Over they years he had started to change that bit by bit, gaining the people love and respect, through the changes and choices he made instead of through fear.

 

Now dressed in his civilian clothing, walking the street no one gave him a second look, and the truth finally sunk in, his people had forgotten. Arthur trusted the knights, he just couldn't fully accept it till he saw it from himself. Looking at Morgana, he couldn't help but think that she was having the same thoughts as him.

 

A half an hour later everyone was in Gaius's chambers, everyone being those that remembered that Arthur was their true king. “Gaius did you find anything?” Arthur asked as everyone settled in the cramped room.

 

Gaius was sat at one of his wooden tables leafing through a large leather bound book, with other books piled around him on the desk. “Not much sire, what I did find, I don't think it is want you are hoping for.” Arthur frowned at that, but gestured for Gaius to continue.

 

“When the six sorcerers appeared, they called themselves the Ealdgweorc, it sounded familiar but I couldn’t place why, that is until this morning when I remembered I see the name in a book before.” Gaius stood up and asked Elyan who had been standing near to him to bring the book that he had been looking at, over to the larger table so that everyone could see it.

 

Once placed Gaius flipped it to a page that had a lot of small writing in another language that most of them could not read, and on the other side was a drawing of six figures, that bore a eerie resemblance to those they had seen the day before. “The Ealdgweorc are said to be six beings, that appear when something has tipped the balance of the world and cannot be righted without intervention. Each of them represent an element that make up the world, fire, water, air, earth, future and past.”

 

If Arthur had heard the tale about the Ealdgweorc, the day before last he would have just thought it to be a made up nonsense, but there was no denying that the figures in the drawing held to much resemblance to just ignore that it might very well be true. Even if it wasn’t it was the only lead they had at the moment. “Does it say anything about enchantments in there or how we might be able to break them?”

 

Gaius looked up with a sad expression gracing his face. “I'm afraid not sire, from what I have read on the Ealdgweorc not much is known about them. They are rarely seen and when they are it is only for a short time.”

 

“How about a way to find them?” Gaius looked over the book again, the started reading out a small the paragraph.“If it is the Ealdgweorc that you seek, then you must travel to the shore of the Great Seas of Meredor, there lies a cave where you must pass a test if you ever wish to meet those you seek.”

 

“Well that sounds like a load of fun.” Gwaine says from his spot in the corner where he had been sitting in a chair eating an apple, “When do we leave for this new fantastic adventure princess?” ignoring the 'Princess' in the question, he looked around his other knights and they all wore identical looks of expectancy, they didn't even consider the thought of staying behind, they would follow him anywhere. Sometime he questioned how he gained such respect and loyalty from his knights but he was extremely glad for it at the moment.

 


	4. Searching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: *hides behind the throne* "I really did mean to update this sooner, but i got distracted writing a different one-shot."
> 
> Boromir: *Appears in a puff of smoke* "One does not simply, hide behind their throne."
> 
> Me: *Straitening into a royal posture* "You are quite right, I shall take whatever they throw at me."
> 
> Boromir: *Produces a box of rotten fruit from nowhere. Then opens the doors for all the readers*
> 
> Me: "I didn't mean that literally."
> 
> Boromir: "I am afraid, it is already to late my Queen. The fruit will fly."
> 
> Me: *Resigned to my fate, i sit on the throne and await the oncoming fruit.*
> 
> Boromir: "Since the writer is so kindly letting you throw fruit at her. Please do leave a comment, it will make her day."
> 
> Me: "Yes, leave a comme-" *gets hit in the face by a rotten tomato*
> 
> Reader: *glares at the writer, holding another tomato* "Stop asking for comments, we will comment if we want to. Now stop talking so that we can read this chapter, like we came here to do."
> 
> Me: *to shocked to speak*
> 
> Boromir: "I think you broke her."

**Chapter Three**

 

The trip to the sea of Meredor was a three day ride; which passed in a somber mood, none of the usually happiness that usually accompanied their usual hunting trips and patrols. They all knew this trip will determined the fate of Camelot and it's people, if they failed to find a way to break the curse then, Arthur and his sister would be forever forgotten. Camelot left in the hands of his uncle, though Arthur didn't doubt his uncle could rule a kingdom, but his motives and ambitions were unclear. From what Arthur had seen he could turn out to be much like Uther if he ruled.

 

When Arthur had been younger, he had followed his father blindly, seeing no wrong in the way his father ruled; his only ambition had been to make his father proud, and become the ruler his father wanted him to be. Loathed to admit it, It had been Merlin that had started to tear away his blinders. He started to notice how his people suffered, from Uther's greed and hunger for power. Uther had two sole purposes and they were keeping his kingdom, and making sure his ban on magic was upheld. Two sole purposes that kept him from noticing those who suffered in his kingdom because of it. Arthur noticed that people were no longer loyal to the king because they loved and respected him, but now were loyal out of fear.

 

He had slowly been changing that as he became king, bit by bit his people were starting to see what kind of king he was through his actions. The people started to realize that he would listen to them and their problems, he lowered the taxes, knowing that they had been to high and his people struggled with the little they had left after it was collected. He strengthened the alliances he had with the neighboring kingdoms, insuring the peace Camelot had for years held during his rule for as long as possible. He wasn't perfect and had made mistakes during his rule but he was trying to be a good ruler, and his people were responding it. Now though with the rule of his Uncle who knew what was to become of Camelot in his absence. He dreaded to think what would happen to all the progress he had started to make, under Agravaine or worse one of the other council members. Worse still would be if word got out to Essetir that Uther had passed leaving no heir and the council fighting for king; That was something that he would rather not think about.

 

Arthur was pulled from his worried but Sir Leon's voice “Sire, were here.” Here being a ridge that looked over one of the many shores that gave way to the great seas. Arthur didn't really know what he was looking for, when Gaius said to come here, he hadn't stopped to think how he would find the sorceress once there. They just set off, desperate to find a way to break the curse. Thinking back it was actually a pretty stupid and rash move, they could be looking for days along the shores to find the right one.

 

The sun was slowly lowering and disappearing behind the horizon, meaning they only had about two hours of sunlight left. “There is no point searching tonight. Let's set up camp, we can leave at first light to search for clues.” The knights nodded and dismounted there horses and started unloading the supplies they would need for the night.

 

The night was uneventful, passing quickly giving way to a bright but cloudy morning. The camp was packed up swiftly, and before they knew it they were back on their horses looking for any sign of those they seek. Arthur was becoming more and more at unease as the morning wore on, there was nothing. This place was largely unpopulated, there weren’t any villages close by, the closest would be another days ride from where they currently were.

 

They were on a small dirt road that eventually lead to another beach, when the blonde king, noticed the noise of something walking over dry leaves, heading in the directing of him and his knights, Arthur made a hand signal for them to halt. The obeyed and fell into silence, listening for whatever the king had noticed.

 

A figure walked in front of them, the person stopped in the middle of the road and faced them, they wore a large dark blue cloak, the hood pulled up over there face so that their identity was not revealed. Though most was hidden by the cloak Arthur could tell it was a man, but not much else. “Who are you?” He said in his most kingly voice, hoping that it might make the person reveal themselves. The man in the cloak said nothing, just stood there watching for a moment and them started to walk away.

 

“Wait.” He shouted. “Do you know who I am, I am the king.” The figure stopped, but only turned their head back for a moment to reply. “Not any more.” With that the man took of running full speed through the forest, gracefully avoiding rocks, fallen branches and upturned tree roots. For a moment everyone just started in shock, then what he said dawned on them, if he knew that Arthur had once been king than that would mean that he wasn't under the spell. Considering the location, he my very well be one of the Ealdgweorc. So Arthur nudged his stallion into a run, chasing the slowly disappearing figure; knowing that the knights would follow without him having to prompt them.

 

After only a couple of seconds they had caught up, but it was pointless anyway. The man had run into a cave were their horses would not be able to follow. So they left their mounts, tied them up and drew their swords. Then slowly made their way into the cave, cautiously because they didn't know what to expect, it could be a trap.

 

What they were not expecting was for the figure to be standing in a large stone room, the room had obviously been carved our of the cave. It was in the shape of a rough dome, the wall uneven because it was naturally formed rock. There was a stone ring platform that ran around the dome walls in a ring, so that the six throne like chairs that were spread evenly spaced around the room were raised above the cave floor. Making it so that you would have to look up at whoever sat upon the thrones. Each of the thrones had a different circle symbol carved into the it, where you would rest your back. Below each there was also a word caved into the stone platform.  _ Alor, G _ _ éomann,  _ æledfýr _ ,  _ æ _ wielm, Célnes, Eftwyrd. _

 

Arthur remembered the last name as he read it, it was the name of the woman who introduced herself when she and her brothers and sisters appeared around the round table. The other words must be the names of the others. Well at least he knew that they were in the right place. The only problem being that none of them were there, apart from the man that stood in the middle, bathed in a stream of light that filtered in through the small circle hole in the roof of the cave.

 

'Who are you?” Arthur asked again, the knights content to let there king speak. This time the hooded man gave an answer. “I am who I am, who I was, and who I will always be.” The answer only served to make Arthur angry, he was fed up of not getting a proper answer, he just wanted to get a straight forward answer as to how to lift the spell on Camelot. “I demand you tell me who you are!” The figure gave a low chuckle, not fazed by the kings anger. “And who are you to demand such a thing of me?”

 

“I am the king!”

 

“Are you?”

 

“Yes I am, I am king of Camelot.”

 

“But that's not true now is it.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean, you were a king before, but are a king no more.”

 

“Tell me who you are!”

 

“Are you sure you want to know?”

 

“I would not have asked, if I wasn't sure.”

 

“How can you be sure of something, if you are not sure of what you are asking?”

 

“I know what I'm asking, it is a simple question. I asked who you are.”

 

“But that is not the question you really want to ask is it?”

 

“No it is not. Lift the spell you have placed on Camelot.”

 

“I have done no such thing, that was the work of the Ealdgworc.”

 

“Then tell them to remove it!”

 

“Very well.” With that the figure disappeared. Not in a puff of smoke, or on a gust of wind, he simply just faded away.

 

All stood there in silence, not really knowing or processing what happened. Gwaine was the one to break the silence. “So did that seem to easy, or is it just me?”

 

Before anyone had the chance to reply to the knight, the entrance to the cave disappeared in very much the same manner the hooded figure had. Arthur hit Gwaine upside the head and said. “You just had to didn't you.”

 

 


End file.
